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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26779162">I Won't Hesitate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoliTheSenate/pseuds/BoliTheSenate'>BoliTheSenate</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crack, Crack Treated Semi-Seriously, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, ahsoka gets to call herself a princess, anakin is the jingle master, dooku: i'm going to ruin this man's whole carreer, it's what she deserves, obi- wan gets an animal sidekick, palpy: planning to off dooku and take anakin as his apprentice, the only way i'll be able to tolerate him is inside a hideous decorative armour, the rule of two is stupid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:54:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,724</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26779162</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoliTheSenate/pseuds/BoliTheSenate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>So, there is no way that Dooku doesn't know.<br/>The rule of two is very clear, and seeing Palps hang with Anakin has got to make him suspicious. </p><p>The actions that he takes to ensure that at least his Serenno estate will go over to capable hands totally derail the subsequent course of the war.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Anakin Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>450</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Will</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>alas, another work inspired by the horrible discord server I am in.<br/>(this chapter is more of a prologue of sorts)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It all started with a will.</p><p>More exactly; with the last will of one Count Yan Dooku of Serenno. Said will was insofar noteworthy, as it did not favor the wife and son of his late brother, no, but someone entirely else.</p><p>Needless to say several different parties were quite appalled. Actually, make that all parties. <em>All parties involved were quite appalled</em>. It was a <em>very</em> chaotic situation.</p><p>Which was exactly what Dooku had planned.</p><p>He had been by no means blind, of course he noticed the ever growing interest his Master had shown in that boy, Skywalker. And living under the Rule of Two, he knew that did not bode well for him. But, he also knew that it was unrealistic to hope Sidious would change his mind or kick the bucket, so he had to devise a plan to at least foil the old grape. There were a lot of factors to take into account; for one, he couldn’t just go up and leave from his apprenticeship without being positively murderized, which also meant that Sidious could under no circumstances get any wind of this. So, whatever he would do, he’d have to do it completely alone, as well as not leave anything traceable behind. Secondly, even though it may seem as if he’d simply been frolicking around, doing an occasional dark-side job for the Separatist cause or for Sidious, managing an estate as well as governing over a large sector of Serenno <em>was</em> a full-time job.</p><p>A job which he, admittedly, had come to like quite a bit.</p><p>It was nice seeing things being orderly and organized, a stark contrast to the conditions in the Jedi order, or, to his great dismay, amongst the Separatists.</p><p>Consequently one could say that House Dooku’s lands on Serenno were a wellspring of order and quiet for him and he had gotten quite attached to them; after all they were amongst the only things that brought him joy after having to deal with the other so-called “Separatist Leaders”. Honestly, what a bunch of morons.</p><p>Securing for the estate to be left in capable hands in the case of his (inevitable, he was aware of his age, no matter what delusions his master had) demise was important. Too bad only that he was surrounded by morons and opportunists.</p><p>His late brother’s wife was a <em>hard</em> no. He did not like her, never had. The son he never met, he could only hope for the kid that he came after his father…</p><p>Anyways, he had to face reality; none of his current associates were to be trusted with his estate. It seemed that in the whole known galaxy there was only one person who seemed even <em>mildly</em> capable.</p><p>Not ideal, but it would have to work. If Sidious wanted to kill him, the least Dooku could arrange for was that the consequences of such an action would ultimately foil his great plan.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. It All Goes Downhill From Here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't think there is a lot in canon on Serenno customs and culture, so i will just be making stuff up as i please.<br/>But taking liberties with canon is the whole point of fanfiction, isn't it?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had… not been a great day. Also not a great week.</p><p>But Obi-Wan was already used to that. It had been a very constant low at least, ever since the war had started. And although he had not enjoyed it, but he had been able to at least appreciate what seemed like the only constant in his new life as High-General of the Republic.</p><p>The Battle of Christophsis had been a disaster, even if they had ultimately won. A big part of the city had been utterly destroyed, and there had been that whole fiasco with Ventress and the Huttling. Thus, Obi-Wan was just sitting over stacks of paperwork regarding troop relocation and relief efforts, when he suddenly got a ping from a unknown comm-frequency.</p><p><em>Weird</em>, he thought, before opening the channel. In retrospect, that had been a mistake.</p><p>….</p><p>They were standing on the landing platform, the cold wind biting their faces. Poor Ahsoka seemed to freeze even with the parka they had had to borrow from Cody’s men.</p><p>Glancing around, all he could see from the elevated platform were grassy plains and a low forest where the terrain started to change into small hills. Shuddering, Obi-Wan turned his gaze back to the imposing gateway that arched over the bridge connecting the platform to the entrance to the estate, where a narrow figure slowly advanced against the strong wind.</p><p>“Mas-ss-ter, ca-can we g-go somewh-where w-w-warmer?” The young Togruta rubbed her arms, shivering and slightly hunched over, trying to face her lekku away from where the wind came, as the hood of the borrowed parka had <em>not</em> been fashioned for her physiognomy (this was no time to want to strangle whomever let the girl run around on battlefields in a tube-top and leggings). They’d have to find the girl new clothes as soon as possible.</p><p>He wanted to be mad at Anakin; if his former padawan hadn’t let loose this landslide, they wouldn’t be here right now (Yes, he was assigning blame here, even if Anakin couldn’t have known what the consequences of his actions would be). Still, it was just so force-damned <em>annoying</em>, he had had way to much to do already, before this clusterfuck had happened. The only positive thing to come out of this whole situation, was that they had finally managed to get Anakin talking to a mind-healer, even if Obi-Wan personally would have preferred it <em>not</em> to need a very close encounter with the dark side for that to happen.</p><p>Obi-Wan also would have preferred it to be at his former padawan’s side right now, and not stand in the biting winds of Serenno, while fearing for the health of his grand-padawan. But like so many things in his life, the force had different plans for him. Or in this case, the Jedi High Council had had the plans. He understood the necessity to resolve this issue as soon as possible, but he doubted that they couldn’t have waited a <em>little</em> longer with the notary appointment, so that he could have had at least a <em>little</em> time with his former padawan. But, with how close to an aneurism Mace had looked when he had visited the Council Chambers, Obi-Wan hadn’t managed to refuse this trip to Serenno.</p><p>He did not at all envy his friend for his ability to see shatterpoints, having had visions in his youth had been bad enough.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, which was quite unpleasant because of the cold and the wind, he nodded towards Cody and gestured for Ahsoka to follow him.</p><p>Right underneath the archway they met up with the figure that had been making their way up to the newcomers. Fashioned in a high-collared and perfectly fit, thick suit of a slightly shimmering dark brown colour and a heavy cloak wrapped around her shoulders, a weathered woman greeted them with a curt nod. “Welcome to your abode, Lord Kenobi, Lady Tano. My name is Dame Thawenna Vess and I was tasked with looking after the estate during your late grandfather’s absence. If you and will follow me, it is more hospitable inside.” And, seemingly undeterred by the gust (Obi-Wan had to ask her at some point how she did her hair, there was barely even one strand out of place, while his own bangs danced in front of his eyes like wild…) she gestured towards the walkway that led to what seemed to be the grand entrance of the estate.</p><p>“After you, my Lord” She said with a hinted bow.</p><p>Obi wan frowned. “You don’t have to…”, but he was cut off by Ahsoka grabbing his arm and starting to drag him forward. “Smalltalk later, Master. I am kriffing <em>freezing</em> here.”</p><p>“<em>Language</em>, dear.”, he reprimanded her.</p><p>A glance to the side showed Dame Vess not revealing any notion of finding the girl’s behavior distasteful, her expression pleasantly neutral. But more impressive than her outward appearance was her mental shielding. She was just as calm and collected in the force as she was on the outside. For someone, who didn’t seem to be notably force-sensitive, this was a mark of great discipline.</p><p>He wondered if she had known that her former Lord had been a Sith. She must have. It made him not really trust her; she was too calm considering the circumstances.</p><p>It also bugged him that she addressed them with titles, he disliked it. Jedi were supposed to stay down-to-eart. To have as few worldly possessions as possible. Which incidentally also was, why he had reluctantly agreed with Mace, that, the sooner they resolved this and the estate went over to it’s rightful owners, the better. Plus, the shorter the time spent here on Serenno, the faster he could return to Coruscant and look after Anakin.</p><p>Obi-Wan <em>dearly</em> hoped that there would be no unexpected complications.</p><p>Turning back to Cody and his men and, while still being dragged forward by a surprisingly strong teenage Togruta, he signalled them to stay alert. He would keep his comm ready, should anything go wrong.</p><p>….</p><p>Obi-Wan reluctantly had to admit that, for all that he had been fallen and objectively turned evil, his former grand-master did have a very nice taste in interior design.</p><p>The entry hall was sparsely decorated, with one decorative rug hanged on the side walls and a sizable fountain in the middle of the room, which strangely reminded Obi-Wan of the Room of Thousand Fountains and he wondered if that similarity had been intentional or not. Together with the open glass ceiling flooding the room with light and dancing reflections it gave the otherwise very imposing structure a certain lightness.</p><p>Or as Ahsoka next to him put it very eloquently: “<em>Whoa</em>…”</p><p>He shot another glance towards Dame Vess, who just handed her heavy cloak to a lanky young man in a dark uniform. “My Lord, Lady, you can give your jackets to Ter here, the notary is waiting in the salle.” Nodding politely, Obi-Wan took off the parka and looked over to Ahsoka, offering to take hers as well.</p><p>She zipped it open, then hesitated. “Uuh, actually, can I maybe keep it on? It's still kind of cold...”</p><p>The older Jedi opened his mouth to apologize, in case her behaviour had been seen as rude, but Dame Vess just smiled neutrally. “If you want to change into some warmer clothes, my Lady, that can be arranged. I fear that the jacket might become too stuffy once we get to the higher floors.” Flushing slightly, his grand-padawan looked over to Obi-Wan for approval.</p><p>He furrowed his brow. “That… I won’t prevent you from it, but Dame Vess, you said the notary was already waiting? We don’t want to be rude and impose on him any longer than necessary.”</p><p>But the woman only smiled amicably and shortly murmured something to the young man currently holding her and Obi-Wan’s cloaks. The man nodded and then disappeared through a door on the side.</p><p>Folding her hands behind her back, Dame Vess nodded towards Ahsoka. “There will come a maid and escort you to a room where you can change your clothes.” And towards Obi-Wan she explained “Do not worry my Lord, we already feared you wouldn’t come at all. Waiting a few minutes more until you formally receive the lands and titles is no hassle. Ah.” and she turned her focus on a young woman entering the hall, leaving Obi-Wan’s mind reeling with what he just seemed to have heard. “Sahwi, the young Lady would like to change into something more comfortable.” And addressing Ahsoka she said “This is Sahwi, My Lady, she will escort you to the dressing room and afterwards to the salle. If you have any questions or requests, she will be there for you.”</p><p>The young woman, Sahwi, bowed shortly and then signing the Togruta to follow her. Shortly hesitating, Ahsoka shot him a concerned glance.</p><p><em>Kriff</em>, had she sensed his sudden unease? He forced a slight smile “Go on, dear. We will wait for you upstairs.”</p><p>Tensely waiting until his grand-padawan and the maid had disappeared around the corner, he looked back at the Dame, who was currently typing something on a datapad that she had procured from somewhere.</p><p>“I have informed the notary that your heir will be joining us a little later.”</p><p><em>Oh, dear Force</em>, let that not mean what Obi-Wan suspected it to mean.</p><p>Licking his lip nervously, he took a hesitantly asked. “Ah, I am terribly sorry, but I think there has been a misunderstanding? I Was under the impression that our presence was required to sort the matter of the will out and transfer the estate and the Titles to the late Count’s family?”</p><p>“No, you have understood correctly.” She replied, tilting her head ever o slightly. “The lands and titles will be officially transferred to you, since he named you, his grandson, as his sole heir. Sadly your son had to be excluded from the line of succession, for obvious reasons, but I am truly happy to see that your granddaughter seems to be a energetic young woman. The notary will be ready to answer any questions pertaining your line of succession, in case you might want to change it. Now follow me, it is more comfortable talking upstairs.” And with that she turned around and started walking towards the wide stone staircase that led to the upper sections of the estate.</p><p>“Wait a moment!” Obi-Wan was silently cursing, just what had his former grand-master done? “There must be a mistake; I have never even accepted the Count’s will? Pardon me for saying this, but we have not come here to take over the estate.”</p><p>The Dame, having stopped and turned around to face him again, smiled pleasantly, although exposing a few too many and too sharp teeth in the process. “My Lord, by stepping onto the lands of House Dooku you already agreed to take on the Title of Count. Surely that was mentioned in the message the notary had sent you and your Council? All that is now left is for you to receive the keys to the estate, as well as any passcodes you might need for the vaults and chambers.”</p><p>Obi-Wan simply stared at her, frozen.</p><p><em>Had there been such a passage?</em> He couldn’t remember, <em>kriff</em>. He must have been running on too many stims after the battle to have noticed. But why had <em>Mace</em> not told him?! Had his friend overlooked that seemingly very important detail as well?</p><p>He had the faint feeling that the Force was laughing at him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. "Good Friends"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Obi-Wan is sighing a lot.<br/>But at least Ahsoka now has some real clothes.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What do you mean, <em>you can’t return to Coruscant</em>?”</p><p>Even through the flickering blue holo Obi-Wan could see that Mace’s veins were starting to pop.</p><p>He crossed his arms behind his back. Far be it from him to enjoy another living being’s suffering, but saying he didn’t feel at least a <em>little bit</em> vindicated at the sight would be lying. His friend had after all played a not insubstantial role in the absolute clusterfuck of a situation he had found himself in.</p><p>“I can’t return. At least not until someone finds out what happens when a High General of an ongoing war suddenly becomes the ruler of an enemy planet.” He smiled mildly. ”The moment you can tell me that it <em>won’t</em> cause a sizable diplomatic incident the moment I enter Republic space, I will gladly return. I have zero intention of risking Ahsoka and my men’s safety.”</p><p>Leaning forward, the holographic image of Master Yoda poked his walking stick in his direction. “Return you must. Young Skywalker, at his side you should be. Your responsibility as his former Master that is.” Obi -Wan grit his teeth at that. Did the old troll think he wasn’t aware of that? If it had been his decision he’d never even left Coruscant, let alone kriffing Republic space! He never wanted to leave Anakin alone, <em>especially</em> right now. His eyes wandered over to Dame Vess, who was standing a little on the side together with a slightly anxious looking, but well-dressed Ahsoka.</p><p>Biting his lip, he hesitated for a moment, looked back to the flickering blue faces of Yoda, Mace and the others and, with a curt “One moment, please.” he stepped out of the range of the recorder.</p><p>“What can I do?” He stared the Dame right into the dark eyes, dead-earnest. “I <em>must</em> see Anakin. Master Yoda isn’t wrong, it is part of my responsibility as his former Master and as his… friend.” Force, he couldn’t refer to him as his son, that was just weird. Even if that was how it now was stated in the ancestral records of House Dooku.</p><p>Ahsoka piped up “Why can’t <em>I</em> go, Master? Maybe if we put you in a clone armor and hide you amongst Cody and his men…?” Sighing, Obi-Wan shook his head. “No, that won’t work my dear. You too are now technically a high-ranking noble from a Separatist world. It <em>probably</em> wouldn’t cause as much of a ruckus, but they’d still have to take you into custody at least. And if they found out you wanted to smuggle me over the borders? No. That plan wont work.” Not to mention that the trooper armor wouldn’t fit him <em>at all</em>.</p><p>He looked back up to the Dame, who seemed to contemplate something.</p><p>“My Lord, I must agree that entering Republic space would be very unwise for either of you. But I understand your desire to see your son. I understand he has sustained both physical and mental injuries during the… duel?” Obi-Wan flinched, but the Dame’s tone and posture didn’t betray anything.</p><p>Reluctantly (he still didn’t fully trust her; <em>why in all the hells was she so calm when her former Lord had been killed not long ago?</em>), he nodded. “Yes, Anakin, he… he went further than he should have in that desert.” In multiple ways. Killing a known Sith Lord was one thing, but using the dark side to this extent… Force, he really wanted to talk to Anakin. In person. And he’d even be willing to trust the creepy Serenno lady over it.</p><p>Said lady hummed noncommittally. “My Lord, as you said, you cant enter Republic space. But you <em>could</em> arrange for him to be brought to Serenno. Our medical facilities should be more than equipped to treat him.”</p><p>Ahsoka made a weird sound.</p><p>Yes, the thought of Anakin Skywalker on Serenno was… an interesting picture.</p><p>But there was another problem. “Dame, pardon me for my bluntness, but you proposing to bring Anakin Skywalker, Jedi General and, more importantly, <em>the one who killed Count Dooku</em> to Serenno, which is situated in the midst of Separatist space has <em>nothing</em> to do with any ulterior motives, right?” He was holding her gaze, sensing Ahsoka shift uncomfortably next to him. But the Dame only smiled benevolently. “Lord Kenobi. You can rest assured that neither I nor anyone else of this household will raise a hand against your son. We are all sworn to the House Dooku, and even if he is exempt from the line of succession, he still is part of said House. Him having killed his grandfather is by no means without a precedent. You were on different sides of a war, the Count had not been unarmed and they both engaged willingly in the duel.”</p><p>Obi-Wan wasn’t <em>entirely</em> sure if there hadn’t been a rather creative interpretation of the term “duel”, but in this case he wasn’t going to complain.</p><p>“Anakin is still a enemy general. That won’t cause problems?” He inquired further.</p><p>“No, his status as your son now grants him diplomatic immunity. Any vessel he travels on has free pass through Separatist territories.”</p><p>And wasn’t <em>that</em> an interesting thought. Obi-Wan had to make sure that the 501st never got wind of that, otherwise they’d probably use his former padawan as some kind of free pass ticket to infiltrate the enemy.</p><p>He exhaled. “He still needs one or several Jedi mind healers to accompany him though. Would they too be allowed to pass?”</p><p>“Of course.” The dame inclined her head. “They would be medical personnel, right? Moreover, any direct guest of you or your family will have free passage too, should you be so inclined as to invite additional people.” Oh, maybe he should invite Mace, to scream at him in person. No, he probably shouldn’t. But it was a nice thought anyway.</p><p>With a last deep sigh, he stepped back into the range of the recorder and relayed his plan to the High Council.</p><p>Well, at least Mace took his side at the following vote, and not the troll’s.</p><p>….</p><p>They were standing outside again, on the same platform as when they first had arrived on Serenno. Ahsoka next to him was fitted in a warm jacket as well as a fur-lined coat and a custom made bonnet that protected her montrals and lekku. Behind stood Cody and a number of his men, also equipped with new coats against the wind.</p><p>They all had their eyes set on the slowly descending republic freighter.</p><p>Apparently his former padawan had awakened from his healing trance some time after they had departed from Coruscant and had vehemently refused to be sedated again. Obi-Wan had chuckled after he had received a messy holo-call by a indignant Anakin who was hiding from the healer. It was good that he was this active again, but nonetheless Obi-Wan had been anxious. He knew first-hand how tempting the dark side could be, and killing a Sith Lord wasn't something you could just shrug off with a good night's sleep. But standing here on the windy platform, and tapping into the bond between them, he didn’t feel anything that would have warranted his concern.</p><p>As the drives of the freighter powered down Ahsoka run up to the hatch, long cloak billowing behind her. Obi-Wan followed, shaking his head in an exasperated manner.</p><p>The hatch opened. And Ob-Wan had to make a double-take.</p><p>Because, the person exiting that Republic spacecraft was not Anakin, not Rex or someone else of the 502st, nor was it one of the mind healers, no, standing on the platform and greeting a slightly confused Ahsoka was none other than <em>Padmé Amidala, Senator of Naboo</em>.</p><p>“Master Kenobi! Or should I call you Lord now?” The Senator greeted him with a wide smile. Immediately he shook his head. “Not you too. Master suffices fully, Senator.” Obi wan hesitated. “But I am curious as to why exactly you are here? Nobody mentioned you accompanying this Transport.” Although he <em>did</em> have a fleeting suspicion.</p><p>“I am aware, it was-“ but before she could continue, a very familiar voice interrupted her.</p><p>“Pa- The Senator is a good friend of mine.” Anakin proclaimed, stepping onto the platform, one arm notably in a sling.</p><p>Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “So you have decided to bring your <em>good friend</em>, who is a <em>very important figure of the Republic</em>, into the heart of Separatist space <em>because</em>…?” His former padawan’s smugness vanished quicker than a snowman in the middle of the Tatooine desert. “Uuuh...She has to do… some official Republic poli-“ Now, it was the Senator’s turn to interrupt “I have been requested to come observe the current situation here on Serenno. Due to security reasons it was decided not to inform you of it, I am deeply sorry for any difficulties that might cause.“ Her gentle smile reminded Obi-Wan way too much of Dame Vess.</p><p>He also had noticed that she hadn’t said <em>who</em> exactly had requested her presence here, for all that he could guess, it <em>probably</em> had been Anakin himself. Well, he trusted Padmè to have the situation under control, she probably had one of her handmaidens stand in for her. <em>Good friends</em> indeed, at least Anakin hadn’t invited the Chancellor over.</p><p>Letting out a deep sigh, he looked over to Ahsoka, who was hovering next to her Master shooting suspicious glances between the two “good friends”. He tapped her mind shortly, sending her a mental “Later, padawan.” She looked back at him, confused for a second, then eyes widening. Before she could say something he covertly signed her to wait. Glancing back over to Anakin and the Senator, she grinned and came up to him, grabbed his arm and whispered “Oh, you <em>gotta</em> tell me this, Master.”</p><p>Another sigh, and he nodded lightly. “As I said, <em>later</em>.” And turning back to the newcomers, he said “Come now, let’s get inside. Anakin, where are your men and Healer Kochi?” He had conversed several times with the old Aleena and had not yet seen him.</p><p>His friend scowled. “Hells if I know what that old man is doing right now, <em>probably</em> something evil.”</p><p>Padme laughed and lightly boxed him. “Healer Kochi went to put on warmer clothes when we started out descent. He may still be changing.”</p><p>Ah, that would explain it, Aleena were a cold-blooded species after all. Having their healer fall into hibernation was indeed something that should be prevented.</p><p>He nodded. “Ahsoka, would it be okay for you to wait for the Healer and the men? You don’t have to, I could also call for an attendant…” But the young Togruta shrugged and said “Nah, I can stay here for the Captain and the Healer, no problem.” And she disappeared into the Freighter.</p><p>Shaking his head he turned back to Anakin and the Senator. “Well then, follow me please.”</p><p>Maybe Padmé being here would actually be a good thing, he mused, at least Anakin would be distracted from trying anything reckless. Plus, Obi-Wan could definitely use some help while trying to figure out how he was supposed to coordinate being a Republic High General while simultaneously now ruling over a Separatist core-world.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There is only one way to ensure that Anakin will stay put and not wreak havoc on Serenno, and that is if Padmé is there so that he cant stop simping.<br/>Or at least until i can finally put him in the decorative armor, that is.</p><p>Edit: i made a dumb comic, you can find it on my tumblr: https://bolithesenate.tumblr.com/post/631763186018861056/corresponding-to-my-previous-post-a-little-comic</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Assigned Son At Arrival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>my braincells r still kinda fried from having to write a paper in *shudders* german, but i hope this chapter isn't too bad.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bouncing through the corridor, Ahsoka gestured to the archway on her left, that led to a spacious salle with a ceiling-high window front and several couches. Additionally there were some seemingly out-of-place pillows on the floor in front of the windows.</p><p>“This is the waiting salle. Well, one of them, I think there are two more, but those haven’t been used for a while now, because Gramps didn’t really have a lot of people come over… Oh, it’s also a nice place to meditate.”</p><p>Rex, who was walking slightly behind her with a scowling Healer Kochi sitting on his shoulder, shot her a confused look. “<em>Gramps</em>, Commander?”</p><p>Ahsoka’s lekku twitched and she grimaced. <em>Kriff</em>, all this time ironically referring to the Count as that had been bound to come back and bite her.</p><p>After an awkward pause, she cleared her throat and continued the tour of the estate. “Aaaanyway. There-,“ and she gestured to the right side, “ is Ob- Master Kenobi’s study, which is also connected to the Red Library which is here…” And she opened the door to show the Captain and his still halfway frozen hitchhiker the interior of the room. The name was because of the intricately painted ceiling which depicted vegetation and an evening sky in various shades of orange and red.</p><p>(There also had been several Sith holocrons, but Master Obi-Wan had stashed them away somewhere….)</p><p>She whirled around. “So, I’m pretty sure that’s covering everything on this floor. At least everything of importance…” After thinking for a moment, she nodded. “Yes, that’s everything. I’ll show you now where your rooms are, okay?” Looking up to where Healer Kochi’s snout barely peaked past the fur lining of his hood, she said “Master Kochi, the Head Maid should have prepared a heater panel in your room, I guess we’ll be going there first?”</p><p>The Togruta interpreted the following murmured curses about Serenno weather and cheeky younglings as a “yes”.</p><p>….</p><p>“It’s <em>ugly</em>”</p><p>Obi-Wan sighed defeatedly. Anakin had been offendedly staring at the decorative armor in the far back of the room for a while now. “Anakin. Just because something doesn’t suit your aesthetic doesn’t mean its automatically ugly.” Even though, in this case he had to silently agree with his former padawan. The white decorated ceramic loaded with bells of varying sizes and giant feather tufts truly was a hideous sight. He much preferred Mandalorian <em>beskar’gam</em>…</p><p>“Anakin, this armor is a cultural heritage of Serenno. You should respect the local customs.” He added after the other’s scowl didn’t lighten.</p><p>Luckily, Pamé came to his aid in that moment. Setting her cup of tea elegantly on the small table between them, she leaned forward inquisitively. “I took the liberty of looking through the reports you sent the Jedi Council.” And at his slight frown she smiled amicably. “Master Billaba was so kind as to provide me with them. Anyways, it does indeed seem that your current situation is just as delicate as unprecedented…”</p><p>Obi-Wan let out a groan. He had feared as much.</p><p>Anakin stopped looking at the armor as if it had personally offended him and shifted his gaze over to Obi-Wan.</p><p>“Right. Master, why exactly are we here? Is this like some kind of undercover mission?”</p><p>Said Master sighed defeatedly. “Anakin, I am sure the Council must have informed you about what happened after you woke up? Or maybe the Senator shared her ….reports with you?”</p><p>With a face that said everything, his former Padawan crossed his arms.</p><p>Pamé smiled apologetically. “I did not have the chance to go through the reports with Knight Skywalker, as his physical and mental recuperation took precedence. And for security reasons all communication with the Republic had to be put on hold as soon as we entered Separatist space.”</p><p>That woman…. Obi-Wan knew <em>exactly</em> what had taken so much of Anakin’s time during their travel. Healer Kuchi had shared in great detail how he had to practically <em>hunt</em> the young man <em>down</em>  to get him to his check-ups and healing sessions. On the bright side, Obi-Wan now knew a lot more about all the possible nooks and crannies a determined and creative Jedi Knight could hide in aboard that type of transport. The elderly Aleena had been <em>very descriptive</em> in his reports.</p><p>He hummed noncommittally. “Well, Anakin, <em>if</em> you read the reports, you would know that this is not an undercover mission. On the contrary, this is very official business.” He folded his hands in his lap and leaned back, shortly hesitating over how to break the news to the young Knight. “Well. I am not entirely certain you are aware, but…. Count Dooku was my Grandmaster.” Ignoring the sputtering that confirmed his suspicions, he continued. “And as it seems, Jedi lineages count as familial ties here on Serenno, which allowed the Count to, well, install me as his heir.” Obi-Wan smiled painedly.</p><p>“And due to some unfortunate miscommunications, I unknowingly accepted. Which makes me the current Count of Serenno.”</p><p>Anakin looked as if he just had bitten into a rotten jogan.</p><p>“You’re <em>joking</em>, right? Master.<em> Please tell me you are joking</em>.”</p><p>“I wish I was, Anakin, I wish I was.” He sighed. “But believe me, this is very real.”</p><p>Anakin continued to look equal parts appalled and disbelieving. Even though he should have felt that he’d been telling the truth, but Obi-Wan had long held the suspicion that his former student let his own feelings cloud his senses too much. He might have to mention this to Healer Kochi on occasion.</p><p>Meanwhile Padmé was quietly sipping on her tea, looking as if in deep thought. “You inherited the Count’s title and lands, right?”, she asked after a moment of silence.</p><p>Obi-Wan nodded. “That is correct. Titles, Lands as well as all his assets.”</p><p>Swirling the tea in her cup, she looked straight into his eyes. “And the Count’s <em>position</em> in the Separatist movement?”</p><p>The sound that came from Anakin’s general direction after that couldn’t be described in words. After the Senator confirmed that her… “friend” wasn’t in fact dying, she looked back to Obi-Wan, expectantly.</p><p>He sighed.</p><p>“One of the reasons I cannot enter Republic space, yes.”</p><p>His former student gaped and the Senator leaned back, nodding lightly. “But- That-“, the younger man stammered, “You’re a karking <em>Separatist</em> now??” With an eyeroll Obi-Wan said “<em>Language</em>, Anakin. And no, I have not magically become a Separatist, even though <em>theoretically</em> I could claim the position. Which I have no intention of doing. Seeing as I haven’t yet been contacted by Grievous, thankfully, I suspect that the other Separatist leaders also would very much prefer to rely on plausible deniability as long as possible. But,” and he leaned forward to massage his temple, “it definitely has complicated things a lot. The Council cannot send me, or by extension Cody, any information on the current situation on the front lines. Which is bad, considering I was… am a High General and Cody is Marshal Commander, as well as now technically a deserter.” He paused, sighing again. <em>That</em> particular conversation hadn’t been very pretty.</p><p>“The only benefit is, that apparently this influence allows us to give free passage through Separatist space to any guests of the house. Or its members.” He looked over to Anakin again. “By the nature of the local understanding of Jedi lineages you are considered my son by the way. And Ahsoka my granddaughter and current heir.”</p><p>Seemingly having something swallowed wrong, the other man begun to cough severely. “Your s-… <em>You’re my father?!</em>”</p><p>He humms. “At least in their eyes, yes. Be grateful for that though, otherwise we all would be in very big trouble for you suddenly bringing your…. Wife?” and his eyes wandered over to the Senator, who now was avoiding his gaze, slightly coloured cheeks hidden behind the teacup that was raised against her lips again.</p><p>His poor former Padawan on the other hand was pale as death.</p><p>“Hm, so I was right. Anakin, I am kind of disappointed that I wasn’t invited to the wedding.” He took a turn to sip from his cup as well. (What the others in the room didn’t know was, that the contents of said cup were not tea. As a precautionary measure he had ensured that he’d have something stronger to hand way before Anakin even entered the system.)</p><p>Stammering the other turned towards his not-so-secret-wife, who still was very pointedly drinking tea. Maybe Obi-Wan should offer her some of the deceased Count’s secret non-tea stack, it had come in very handy in the last few days.</p><p>“<em>Please</em>, Anakin, did you <em>really</em> think you were being discreet?” He shook his head, sighing. “If so, then I must thank Mace for purposefully keeping you away from any undercover missions so far.”</p><p>The younger Jedi looked positively horrified at this. “Master Windu <em>knows</em>?!”</p><p>Yet another sigh.</p><p>“Anakin. Friend.  At this point it’s more a question of who <em>doesn’t</em>. <em>Really</em>, it took Ahsoka <em>barely</em> more than ten seconds to suspect something back out there at the landing platform.” Right, that was another conversation he’d have to hold at some point. That, and tell Cody he’d have to announce the winners of the “Is Skywalker Really That Oblivious Or Is He Doing It For The Lols” betting pool.</p><p>“Speaking of which, I have supervised her studies in your absence, but we will have to figure out how this all will affect her as well. I kind of wish I wouldn’t have brought her here in the first place… Also, her being your Padawan makes her your daughter, so congratulations on becoming a father.” And nodding towards the Senator, he added “Padmé, I do not know the nubian customs, but since you two are apparently married, you’d also be considered her mother. I do not believe you two have met apart from at your arrival here, so that might be a bit sudden…”</p><p>Pamé laughed and leaned back in her seat. “I must admit, I didn’t <em>expect</em> to suddenly become a parent when I entered Separatist space, but I do not see it as a problem. I know many families who have adopted. We’d probably have to fill out some forms for the adoption to be viable on Naboo, but I suspect there are more pressing matters at hand, no?”</p><p>Shrugging, Obi-Wan stood up. “Honestly? It has been pretty calm so far, unless Grievous suddenly wants me to lead an attack on a Republic world, you’ll probably have more than enough time for sorting these things out with your family. I will wave to leave you now to update Dame Vess on this situation.” After a short pause he smiled. “Well, at least you being married definitely makes explaining your unannounced visit here a lot easier. I will send someone to show you to your temporal quarters, if you need something just ask for it. Or contact me, Anakin, you know how to.” And he tapped his temple lightly. Using their bond like this would probably sent Yoda into another lecture about misuse of the Force, but the old troll wasn’t here.</p><p>“Oh, and please, don’t destroy any culturally important pieces of art while you’re here, <em>Son</em>.”</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. No Mistakes, Just Happy Accidents</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>eyyy long time no see</p><p>this chapter is brought to you by my truly self indulgent need for the clones to get better lives and my everlasting disdain for the Republic.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“A national holiday?”</p><p>Dame Vess nodded, handing him a small datapad on which a small webpage was opened. Obi-Wan couldn’t get around noticing that it was from a tourist guide.</p><p>“I refrained from mentioning these to you since you were quite busy with all the other administrational matters, but traditionally the Ruling House is always present at the biggest celebrations. They are mostly symbolic appearances, the utmost you and your family might have to do is pose with some livestock or wear traditional clothing. Your grandfather had delegated most of these duties to me in the last few years, since he wasn’t on planet most of the time, so I can assure you it doesn’t require a lot of effort.” The tall woman made a dismissive gesture. “The other Houses will also be there, I will later send you a list of their expected representatives, as you and your family will probably be required to socialize with them.”</p><p>The light tension in her jaw and the bit of rightful indignation that slipped past her shields showed that she was very likely having the same thought as him: <em>Anakin</em>.</p><p>His former padawan had, when he wasn’t dragged off by Healer Kochi to their daily sessions, while not explicitly hostile, been rather suspicious of the locals. On more than one occasion Obi-Wan had to calm him down and explain that yes, the local cuisine occasionally took some time to get used to, but <em>no</em>, it wasn’t an elaborate plan to kill them through long-term poisoning.</p><p>At least he hoped so.</p><p>He <em>still</em> wasn’t entirely sure of Dame Vess, as something bugged him about her, but he simply couldn’t get a hold of what it might be.</p><p>But that had to wait.</p><p>“And it is required that every member of my… family will attend?” To be honest, he’d rather leave Anakin here under the watchful eyes of Healer Kochi. He also was unsure about the whole situation that Anakin had killed their ruler and that this fact was seemingly a widely known and accepted fact. He surely wasn’t one to judge alien customs, but as he had experienced it so far, regicide was commonly <em>strongly</em> frowned upon. So he was rather skeptical of this apparent indifference.</p><p>The Dame smiled. “It would certainly be advisable. Since you are a newly appointed Count as well as a previously unknown branch of the family, you should at least this time appear all together. The Senator too, as I understand she and her husband have formally adopted the Princess?” Obi-Wan nodded lightly, flipping through the vibrant pictures that were included in the short text Vess had given him, not actually reading it. A lot of them depicted some sort of plump, marbled burrowing animal. (He’d read up on this later)</p><p>“So it just for presentation, correct?” He looked up from the pad. “But you said that Anakin was excluded from the line of succession, so surely it would be excusable if he were to miss this event?”</p><p>This made the Dame snicker. “Make no mistake,” she shot him a knowing look, “ I am completely aware of your son’s….<em>reservations</em>. But traditions are traditions, and he still is the legal father of your current heir. Moreover, appearing as an united front will give the more traditionalist parties of the other Houses less chance to criticize you.” She walked over to the wall of bookshelves that adorned the Coun- Obi’s office. “Though adoption is, and always was, a respected way of securing one’s line, there are voices that urge for the return of the late Count’s nephew. Mostly because they think him more malleable.” She shrugged and pulled a rather large tome from a lower shelf.</p><p>“Here. This might be useful to you.”</p><p>Obi-Wan took the book. “<em>The Tale of Prince Swordhand</em>?” He raised his eyebrow.</p><p>“Use this as reference when someone questions the legitimacy of your line.” Dame Vess clasped her hands behind her back.</p><p>“A <em>fairy tale</em>?”</p><p>She hummed noncommittally. “In every tale there is a grain of truth. Sure, it most definitely was blown out of proportion by time and the creativity of those who compiled the written version, but the base story remains true to historical events. If you are interested I can send you some research papers on this matter along with the list of representatives. <em>Although</em> I suspect you will have <em>quite a bit</em> to read already.” And she nodded to both the datapad with the tourist brochure and the tome in Obi-Wan’s hands.</p><p>He scrunched his nose slightly; it was almost as if he was a youngling again and writing reports for his classes, studying deep in the night in the harsh glow of datapads. At least in the <em>war</em> he had had Cody and some of his officers to help him manage the workload, but he doubted that these things fell within their area of expertise. Well, his men deserved a bit of a vacation anyways.</p><p>Speaking of which.</p><p>“Ah, Dame Vess, did you already find something on the matter I inquired about?” A few days prior he had asked her to look into the matter of having Cody and his men, who legally were deserters in the eyes of the Republic, stay on Serenno. They had managed to keep their presence relatively quiet so far, but lately some of them had become bored and had started to help out with chores around the estate. More and more had been spotted joining training sessions of the Guard, and if Obi-Wan wasn’t gravely mistaken at least two had been taken in by the head chef as de-facto apprentices. As much as he was happy that they slowly were overcoming their initial isolation, he was concerned for their safety. They still were enemy soldiers and their status as clones certainly didn’t make them more sympathetic in the eyes of a unfortunately big part of the galaxy.</p><p>He just hoped that Serenno wasn’t part of it.</p><p>“Oh yes, right.” She checked something on her personal ‘pad. “Ah, the application for citizenship I sent in on their behalf is still pending, but we should hear from the Bureau soon. They will probably asked to make a trip to the registration office in Brannach to complete it, but I estimate it’ll take a week tops.</p><p>He almost let the datapad fall.</p><p>“<em>What</em>?!” He whipped around, staring at her incredulously.</p><p>She blinked confusedly. “Oh? Should I ask them to speed it up a bit? It’s unlikely that they can, seeing as we have quite a few holidays coming up, but i’ll see what I can do?”</p><p>“<em>Nonono</em>!” Obi-Wan gestured wildly. “I-… <em>Citizenship</em>?? How did you even…?”</p><p>Dame Vess frowned. “Oh, did I misunderstand? You asked me to inquire about their citizenship status here, or am I mistaken?”</p><p>Now it was his turn to be baffled. “I- <em>no</em>…. I mean… I didn’t know they <em>could</em> apply to it? What I had meant was more along the lines of a… temporary visa? At least for the time it’ll take to sort the whole mess with the Republic out? I wasn’t aware that they… were <em>viable</em> for citizenship here.” He cringed a bit at the last bit, being reminded of several unsavory discussions with politicians or other authority figures back in the Republic.</p><p>“Ah, well…” A slightly sheepish smile stole itself on her face. “Immigration laws are momentarily pretty lax. Low birth rates and such. I may have exploited that to a degree, that much is true, but they also are your retainers, aren’t they? It would be unfit for them to have to rely on a visa.”</p><p>Obi-Wan had to sit down. Rubbing his forehead, he had an ever so slight inclination of how Mace had to feel when he was hit with a particularly nasty shatterpoint. “I am sorry, this is….” He looked up with a sigh. “Don’t misunderstand, I am truly happy about this, but also… there are some circumstances that you do not seem to be aware of. It might be better to call Padmé to explain this, she knows more of the details…” He paused for a second, trying to bring order to his racing thoughts. “And Cody, since he and his brothers are directly affected by this.”</p><p>Feeling the, albeit well hidden, confusion waft over from Dame Vess, he smiled. “Don’t worry, this isn’t bad. Not at all. But nonetheless, I’d like to ask you to maybe keep this to yourself for the time being. Also, I am not sure if all of them will <em>want</em> citizenship here. They should have the choice themselves. This is… probably a lot for many of them.”</p><p>The tall woman didn’t look any less confused than before, but then sighed defeatedly. “Well, shall I send for Lady Amidala and Mister Cody now?” Her hand hovering vaguely over her wristcomm.</p><p>Just as he wanted to nod, Obi-Wan hesitated. Leaning over the side of the seat, he angled for the datapad.</p><p>“Hm, no wait. It can wait ‘til after lunch.” He said after checking the time on it.</p><p>“As you wish, my Lord. I shall then leave you to your lectures.” She bowed lightly and then disappeared through the doorway, leaving behind a lightly scowling Obi-Wan.</p><p>Weakly cursing her, he once again pulled up the page with the tourist guide.</p><p>Then Obi-Wan Kenobi, former High-General of the Republic and freshly baked Lord of Serenno begun reading all there was about the upcoming Winterparting and a lot of local legend on glowing horned marmots.</p><p> </p>
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